Takahashi M, Yamada G, Tsuji T
First Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Gastroenterol Jpn. 1991 Aug;26(4):483-8.
To identify intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus, we tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in serum samples of 160 family members (12 parents, 17 siblings, 73 children, and 58 spouses) of 76 index patients with chronic hepatitis C. Anti-HCV was detected in 14 of 160 family members (8.75%). This positive rate was significantly higher than the anti-HCV-positive rate in age-matched volunteer blood donors in our district (8.75% vs. 1.42%; P less than 0.01). Among 14 members, 5 had normal liver function tests and 9 had hepatitis C. In 4 of 73 children, anti-HCV was detected (5.48% vs. 0.55%; P less than 0.01). In the two children, transmission from mother to child in their childhood was suspected, and in the other children, transmission was from father to child. Furthermore, 7 of 58 spouses (12.1%) had anti-HCV (12.1% vs. 2.13%; P less than 0.01). These results suggest that intrafamilial transmission, especially horizontal infection may play an important role in the spread of hepatitis C.
为了确定丙型肝炎病毒的家庭内传播情况，我们对76例慢性丙型肝炎索引患者的160名家庭成员（12名父母、17名兄弟姐妹、73名子女和58名配偶）的血清样本进行了丙型肝炎病毒抗体（抗-HCV）检测。160名家庭成员中有14人检测出抗-HCV（8.75%）。这一阳性率显著高于我区年龄匹配的志愿献血者中的抗-HCV阳性率（8.75%对1.42%；P<0.01）。在这14名成员中，5人肝功能检查正常，9人患有丙型肝炎。73名儿童中有4人检测出抗-HCV（5.48%对0.55%；P<0.01）。在这两名儿童中，怀疑是儿童期由母亲传染给孩子，而在其他儿童中，是由父亲传染给孩子。此外，58名配偶中有7人（12.1%）检测出抗-HCV（12.1%对2.13%；P<0.01）。这些结果表明，家庭内传播，尤其是水平感染可能在丙型肝炎的传播中起重要作用。
